Her Side of the Mountain

Ah, springtime.  Here in New England, that means rain, rain, followed by a teaser couple of warm sunny days, and then more rain (and last Friday, in Boston, snow/sleet).  At least the temperature is rising, and I have hopes that the spring hiking can soon begin in earnest.  In the meantime, as I look out at the rain and gloom, I’m focused on the anticipation of the good outdoor weather.  Here are five things to get you in the mood for a great hiking and camping season:

1. The National Park Service celebrates National Park Week, April 17 – 25, by waiving entrance fees.  That’s right, free!  Do you really need another excuse to check out the National Parks near you?
2. The National Park Foundation has teamed up with Expedia.com with a great incentive program that helps the National Parks.  You can now book your next vacation on Expedia through the National Park Foundation website, and for every flight, hotel, or rental car booked in this way, Expedia will donate 50% of its profits to the NPF. 
3. Got some winter weight to shed?  Is 2010 the year you’ll become the buff, healthy woman you’ve always wanted to be?  Does the treadmill at the gym make you scowl?  This month’s issue of Outside Magazine has a great article on re-energizing (or discovering) your fitness regimine with jazzed up walks in the park.  I’ve looked it over, and I think you can do it on a hiking trail, too.  (The article does not yet appear online, so you’ll have to ferret it out elsewhere).  It involves short 2-3 minute walking bursts with reps of exercises that can be done with the assistance of a park bench or a fallen tree.  Check it out or make up your own!
4. Are you a student with some time this summer, or an executive who can take a leave of absence?  Check out the seasonal employment offered by the National Park Service. 
5. Are you a writer?  Would you like to be?  Creative Conferences is holding a series of conferences in Boulder, Colorado, this August and September, covering memoirs, magazine writing and digital photography.  These two-day intensive workshops — and the possibility of publication in Women’s Adventure Magazine — will give you a jump start, connections in the industry, and a wealth of information.  Plus, hanging out in Boulder?  Not too shabby.

© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.